Egg case filler division plate



Oct. 21, 1941. E. E. HOLWICK 2,260,074

EGG CASE FILLER DIVISION PLATE Filed June 9, 1938 1NVENTOR. 6M! 5, M4

Patented Oct. 21, 1941 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE" 2,260,074 EGG CASEFILLER DIVISION PLATE Earl E. Holwick, La Crescenta, Calif. 7Application June 9, 1938, Serial No. 212,771

overcoming obvious difliculties encountered by;

packers and candlers of eggs prior to my invention, and particularly toeliminate the possibility of loss due to breakage of eggs in transit.

A principal object of the present invention is the production of adivision plate provided with a plurality of equidistant spaced holdersprovided withv recesses whereby the seepage of cracked eggs may flow toa point remote from the recesses in the adjacent holders.

Another principal object is the provision of means on said holders forretaining eggs in their inclined position after the partition fillersare removed and thereby preventing the possibility of breakage.

Another important object is to provide a filler division plate havingmeanswhereby each egg will engage all the walls of the cell and therebyprevent movement of the eggs.

A further object is to produce a filler division plate provided with acushion formed in such a manner so as to lower the height of the eggs intheir cells. a

Another object is to afiord facilities for the proper cushioning of thedivision plate to avoid direct contact between the ends of the eggs inthe different layers. 7

These and other objects will become apparent from a consideration of thefollowing description and by reference to the accompanyingdrawingforming a part thereof, in which- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary top plan Viewof my invention.

Fig. 2 is a corner view of a cushioned egg positioner and holder. 7

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the sitioner shown in Fig. 2. a s

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line |2-l2 of Fig.- 1 showingposition of the inclined channel and duct.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line l3--I3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a similar view as that in Fig. 1, showing my invention incombination with partition cushioned pofillers in position andcontaining eggs in the cells thereof, and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line l5-|5 of Fig. 6, showing theinclined position of the eggs in the cells. 7 The division platecomprises a moldedsheetlike member formed from wood pulp or paper I withthe flat surface of the division plate.

4 Claims. (c1.' 217-205) pulp, and having a plurality of upstandingsquare shaped holders or supports I equidistantly arrangedin rows. Eachholder'consisting of a large projection 3 and a small projection 5, thatextend upwardly from and are entirely surrounded at the base by the fiatsurface of the plate 9, and thus forming an angular recess between theprojections. The outerfends 22 of this angular recessmay-betermedgrooves, while the enlarged corner 8 may be called a duct. Theprojection 3 forms the sides and three corners of the holder. Two of thesides and the said three corners are of equal height or parallel withthebase or flat surface, while the remaining sides 4-4 inclinetoward andend abruptly at the grooves 2-2. The inner walls 6 of the projection 3,as shown, slope inwardly and downwardly to the said recess to provide aslide or chute. In the valley between the inner walls orsides 44, achannel 1 provides a drain andair passage to the holder, and also addsflexibility to the-support. The projection 5, which forms thefourth-corner of the holder, extends upwardly to a height substantiallyequal to the height of the corners formed by projection 3, and providesa rest or stop for the slide or chute. It-will' be noted that the innerwall It of the projection 5 is slightly curved, to increase the contactsurface a'ndtoprovideflexibility to the rest against which an egg maylodge. It will be seen in the drawing, that the slide [i onwhich an egg-A may slide into an inclined position, when dropped into the cellsformed by the partition fillers indicated at B, and thereby lodgeagainst the curved rest In on theinnerpo-rtion of the upward extendedprojection or stop 5.

It will be seen that the groove or channel 1 slopes downward from theridge to the duct 8, the duct being preferably circular in shape andslightly lower than the edge of the chute 6. The bottom of the duct maybe flat and on' a-plane The channels 2 may also be a continuation of theflat surface, and extend from the duct to the outer edge of the holdersand thereby separate the projection 5 from the main portion of the ridgeand slide. The channel I, the channels and the duct 8 provide a meanswhereby air may circulate around the lower end of the eggs and alsoserve as a drain in case of breakage and thereby prevent the shell ofcracked eggs from adhering to the holder and seal'the pores of the lowerendsof the eggs... It will be seen that by forming the drain in themanner described and illustrated in the drawing, that the drain in oneholder is remote from the drains in the other holders, which enable freepassage of the albumen or whites of the eggs to the grooves between theholders. It will be seen that the channels 2 and the ducts 8 completelydivide the holders into large and small projection and b providing thechannel I in the larger projections, positioners are formed of the saidlarger projections, so that when an egg is dropped into the holder itslides on the inclined walls 6 of the holder and rests against thesloping wall Ill of the smaller projection, and thereby forming a threepoint contact with the holder. The position in which these grooves 2-2occupy in the holder, enable the seepage of any crackedegg to flowaround the highest parts of the ad'- jacent holders, and thereforecannotsoilthe eggs. in said holders.

The height of the three corners of projection 3 are important, as theyprovide a brace for. the in-. clined egg after the cell partitionfillers. arev removed, while the projection 5 prevents the egg fromsliding and thus. prevent the possibility of breakage when thepartition; fillers are. removed.

The holders are preferably square in shape and of slightly lesssin sizethan the bottom of the cells formed by the partition fillers. Theholders are spaced apart sufiieiently to provide a straight flat groovebetween the squares to provide a rest for the partition fillers andprevent side movement thereof. The projections 5 are all positioned inthe same direction, so that the eggs- A may be held in the same diagonalposition in the cells as shown in Fig. 6.

In Figures 6 and- 7,' the division plate is being shown in combinationwith the partitionfillers B and theeggs A, to: show the effect of thepositioners on the eggs in forming cushions of the partition fillers.The arrows D indicate the approximate point at which the eggs engage theupper portion of the. walls on two sides of the cells, while the arrows(3 indicate the points of By the holders holding the eggs in themannerdescribed, each of the cell walls arebei-ng engaged by the eggs, whichprevents side movement. of the eggs in the cells and thus avoidsbreakage due to the possible sudden imp-act between any two eggs at thesame spot on the partitions when handling the cases. A,

By the ridge of the positioners, extending upwardat three corners of thecells, recesses are provided on the reverse side ot the division plates.These recesses I4, enablethepositioners to fit over the upper ends oflong eggs and permit the division plate to rest. on the partitionfillers without reducing the space in thecells and avoiding directcontact between the points of the eggs in the different layers of cells,

It will be obvious that the relative dimensions of the various parts,the number of grooves or notches, or the relative location and depth ofthe cushion, may all be varied without departing from the spirit of myinvention. This division plate may also be formed by steam pressing o-rmolded pulp.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a packing for eggs comprising a sheet having a plurality ofequidistantly spaced holders thereon, each of the said holders having inthe bottom. thereof a Y-shaped drain channel comprisin one long and twoshort branches and consisting of a larger projection and a smallerprojection entirely separated from each other at the base. by the shortbranches of said Y-shaped channel, said larger projection having itsinner walls sloping inwardly and downwardly to the long branch of. the.channel, said short drain channels terminating at the edges of theholder, said smaller projeetionforrning with: said larger projectionoval shaped. recess, and being adapted to. prevent movementof an eg-g,insaid holder when the cell partition fillers are removed.

2. In a packing. for eggs, comprising a sheet having a plurality ofspaced holdersthereon, each of said holders having: a larger projectionand a smaller projection entirely separated at the. base by said sheetand forming projecting, corners on said holder, saidlarger projectioniormingwith said smaller projection a recess bounded by three innerwall-sv inclining. inwardly and downwardly to said. sheet in one cornerof said holder.

3. In a. packing for eggs, comprising a sheet having a plurality ofspaced. holders formed thereon, each of said holders having in thebottom thereof a ,Y-shaped, channel comprising one long and two shortbranches and consisting of a larger projection and a smaller projectionseparated from each other by theshort branches of said channel, saidlarger projection. forming; W th said. smaller." projection a relativelylarge tapered recess extending downwardly. to. the short branches of thechannel, and said; channel adapted to. ventilatesaid recess;

l. In. a packing for eggs, comprising. a. sheet having a .pluralityotholders. thereon, each of said holders having in thebntizom thereofa-.Y-. shapedgchannel; comprising; one. long. and two short branchesand; consisting: oiza. larger. projection. and alsmallergxprojectionseparated at the base by the short branchesolt thev channel, arela- Vtivel'y large recessdisposedhetween said projec- V -shaped valleyextending diagonally to the short branches of said channel 'andtothe.base in one corner of said holder. V

- EARL E. HOLWICK. h

